GLP-1s are medications that can aid in weight loss by regulating appetite and promoting a feeling of fullness. To maximise the benefits of GLP-1s, it's essential you follow a balanced diet alongside your treatment plan. In this guide, we'll explore key principles for managing your diet while incorporating GLP-1s into your weight loss journey.
GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking a hormone that naturally occurs in your body called GLP-1. They promote weight loss by regulating your blood sugar, reducing your appetite and slowing gastric emptying (the rate at which food leaves your stomach). [1]
The Eatwell Guide is guidance provided by the NHS to help you follow a nutritious, balanced diet. It's for everyone, regardless of your weight, and focuses on eating a variety of foods from different food groups, including fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and dairy products. You can use the guide to help you lose weight, then continue maintaining a healthy lifestyle even after you've achieved your goals. [2]
Many diets encourage you to cut out entire food groups to lose weight, but this isn’t a healthy or sustainable approach. Your body needs a range of nutrients to carry out essential functions and promote safe, sustainable weight loss, and every food group contributes to that.
The NHS Eatwell Guide focuses on five main food groups and breaks down how much of each you should be eating every day to make sure you're fuelling your body with enough key nutrients.
Examples: Apples, bananas, berries, broccoli, carrots, leafy greens.
Fruits and vegetables are packed with key nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and fibre. They're low in calories but provide volume, making you feel full without contributing too highly to your daily calorie intake. You should try to "eat the rainbow", or include a range of colourful fruits and vegetables in your meals, to get a variety of micronutrients in your diet. The NHS recommends that you should aim for at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables per day, roughly 40% of your overall food intake.
Examples: bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, whole grains.
Starchy carbohydrates, or complex carbohydrates, should make up just over one third (38%) of your daily calorie intake. They provide your body with energy for vital functions — like thinking, breathing and movement — and are high in fibre, an essential nutrient for healthy digestion. Many people avoid carbohydrates when dieting because they're perceived to be linked to weight gain, but this isn't the case. Gram for gram, they contain 44% less calories that fats do. [3]
Don't confuse starchy carbohydrates with simple carbohydrates, though. These are the kinds of sugars you'll find in sweet foods like biscuits, cakes and desserts, which can provide short-term energy boosts but don't keep you full or have the same nutritional value as starchy carbs.
Examples: lean red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, legumes, tofu.
Protein is vital for weight loss as it keeps you feeling full for longer and aids muscle repair, which is especially important if you're exercising more. When you're consuming fewer calories than you're burning to lose weight, also known as a calorie deficit, this can lead to muscle loss as well as fat loss — so eating plenty of protein helps prevent this. Make sure you're opting for lean sources of protein, which are lower in saturated fats and calories, and aim for 12% of your daily food intake to be protein-based.
Examples: cheese, milk, yoghurt, dairy-free alternatives (soy, nut milks).
Dairy products provide nutrients such as calcium and protein, but they can also be high in fat. Practice moderation with this food group and aim to consume dairy from a variety of different sources to make up 8% of your daily calorie intake.
Examples: butter, olive oil, vegetable oil.
Oils and spreads are more calorie-dense than other food groups, so they should only make up a small amount (1%) of your daily calorie intake. To help you reduce the amount of calories you're consuming from this group, try using healthier fats like olive oil, avocado oil and rapeseed oil instead of fats from animal sources.
GLP-1s increase feelings of fullness, which makes it easier for you to control your portion sizes. In general, you should pay attention to your body's hunger cues, and try to avoid overeating by stopping when you start to feel full. Small, balanced meals spread throughout the day can help you maintain steady energy levels while supporting your weight loss goals.
As we've mentioned above, you also need to practise portion control when it comes to the amount of food from each group you're consuming. A well-balanced diet means you're splitting your daily calories across the food groups to maximise the nutrients you're fuelling your body with.
Here's how you can work out your portion sizes:
Measure your food using measuring cups, scales or small plates and bowls to help manage your serving sizes. Preparing meals and snacks in advance is a convenient way to manage quantities and make sure you always have healthy options ready to go. Try to avoid large, un-portioned packets and pay attention to your hunger cues — your body will let you know when you're full.
The NHS Eatwell guide recommends you drink six to eight glasses of water throughout the day to support your overall health, and doing this can aid weight loss too. [7] Our bodies sometimes mistake thirst for hunger, causing you to snack or overeat, but drinking plenty of fluids promotes feelings of fullness and prevents this. Water can also help with digestion and help resolve side effects like nausea, constipation and headaches.
Since it's important to prioritise nourishing your body throughout your weight loss journey, here are some foods we recommend avoiding while taking GLP-1 medication:
We're here to support you. If you're interested in trying a plan with proven results, Levity can help find the most suitable weight loss treatment for you. Visit our website to see which treatment is best suited for you.
.jpg)
Like many Levity customers embarking on their personal weight loss journeys, Gemma wanted to reach her goal weight in a sustainable, science-backed way. Read on to learn how she did it.
Here we'll break down the differences between two popular treatments – Wegovy and Mounjaro – to help you understand which might be the right choice for you.
Before starting any medication, it’s important to understand the potential side effects. Our Levity experts share the range of side effects that may be experienced when taking Wegovy.
